the mask...
why does izo suddenly start wearing a mask halfway through? i know it's some kind of japanese symbolism that i'm lost on.
anyway, easily one of the best films of all time. *beep* off haters.
I took that to mean he was gradually transforming more and more into the devil that he was destined to be and such. Outside reflecting inside and yada yada... Just my view on the thing.
shareIt shows him progressively becoming a demon. If you watch other Japanese movies with demons they have what looks to be the same mask.
You might also notice that he has just the upper mask piece on, then at the end when he's a full demon and approaches the aristocrats he also has the jaw piece of the demon mask along with the teeth and the eyes.
You might also notice how the (feminine) part of his soul brings him back to being a little more human.
You really need a good background in Japanese culture/mysticism/forces to have a chance with this movie. Unfortunately I don't have a great background in any of them myself.
SDrofl wrote" Unfortunately I don't have a great background in any of them myself"
oh no! don't worry about that, you already explain the major meaning of the mask, congrats
the idea is originated from the kabuki theater (or any other...) i mean, look at it, since the past era, the japanese had known stories about folk tales since they were little, whether it's about a demon, spirit, etc, and then they got the kabuki and noh, which somehow describe the way the demon look like, theatrically.
and those image of demons are kept in their mind for long, it became part of their culture. the movie used it repeatedly, including Izo...
On a different note about the mask...
Does anyone know where one could buy a mask like the one Izo was wearing?
It's not on ebay.
Does anyone know where I can get my paws on a mask like Izo's?